Eggs were decorated, blessed, exchanged and eaten as part of the rites of spring long before Christian times. Early civilizations held springtime festivals to welcome the sun's rising from its long winter sleep. The Germans began the tradition of emptying egg shells, painting them and decorating with bits of lace, cloth or ribbon so they could be hung on small trees.
By Jennifer Howard
Decorating eggs can be fun for all ages and makes a great family project. If you hide the decorated eggs, put them where they won't come into contact with pets, other animals, birds or lawn chemicals.
After you have found all the hidden eggs, throw out any that are cracked or have been out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Eat only refrigerated, hard-cooked eggs, with shells intact, within a week of cooking them.
Hard cook eggs instead of boiling them. Boiling eggs has a tendency to make them rubbery and tough. Eggs that are cooked too long or at too high a temperature can also have those unattractive green rings around the yolks. You need to use a more gentle cooking to make tender eggs without the green rings. Gentle cooking will also help to prevent cracking.
Did you know that the fresher an egg, the harder it is to peel after you cook it? A fresh egg has a small air cell surrounding it and the membranes between the shell and the egg white are quite snug. For eggs that are easier to peel, buy them ahead of time and refrigerate them for a week before you cook them.
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